Notts pile further misery on Somerset

In-form batsmen Michael Lumb and Riki Wessels struck half-centuries to help Nottinghamshire keep their hopes alive in this year's Clydesdale Bank 40 Group B with a comfortable victory over struggling Somerset at Trent Bridge.

The duo came together in what proved to be a key partnership of 79 in just 11 overs for the second wicket as the hosts successfully chased 206 to win.

That was after bowlers Darren Pattinson and Jake Ball had led the way with three wickets apiece as Somerset were restricted to a below-par total.

The five-wicket victory allowed Notts to bounce back from a 91-run drubbing at Durham yesterday, while Somerset were left reeling by their fourth consecutive defeat in this format.

Michael Lumb's fifty helps Nottinghamshire to a comfortable win over Somerset, who are yet to taste victory in this year's Clydesdale Bank 40

Notts won the toss and broke through in the sixth over when Pattinson had Nick Compton caught behind.

Craig Kieswetter upped the tempo in tandem with Peter Trego before he was one of two victims in consecutive overs for Ball, who also bowled James Hildreth.

Trego, however, was largely untroubled and added 55 with Jos Buttler in nine overs before being trapped lbw by the returning Pattinson for 47 from 53 balls.

Buttler, who hit 29, followed soon after as he was undone by a Samit Patel quicker ball that bowled him as he advanced down the pitch.

It was left to Craig Meschede and Arul Suppiah, with 33 and 39 respectively, to set some kind of score for Notts to chase as they shared 42 for the sixth wicket.

Meschede was eventually run out after a mix-up, while Suppiah holed out off Pattinson's final ball of the Somerset innings.

Notts began their reply well as Lumb put on 56 with Alex Hales, who was first out after pulling Lewis Gregory to Suppiah at deep midwicket.

Lumb coasted to his fifty with an array of attractive drives through the covers while Wessels quickly hit his straps, clubbing off-spinner Max Walker over the leg-side boundary.

The stand was ended by Meschede, who induced a mis-timed pull from Lumb as the left-hander departed for 65.

Wessels went with the total on 157 as he nicked through to Kieswetter off Alfonso Thomas.

But although Patel and James Taylor quickly perished, Notts' win was confirmed by Adam Voges and Chris Read with 20 balls to spare.